Stewart Island ferry to be replaced

Press, 2 May 1984, Page 26

Stewart Island ferry to be replaced

PA Wellington The Stewart Island ferry Wairua will be replaced by a new 50-passenger roll-on vessel late in 1985 or early in 1986, says the Acting Minister of Transport, Mr Malcolm. Mr Malcolm said yesterday the decision to replace the Wairua had been taken after an extensive review of the Stewart Island shipping service. The review, which began in 1982, was initiated because of the increasing cost to the Government of

providing the Wairua service (now running at close to $1 million a year) and the requirement that the vessel, which was 23 years old, have a major and expensive refit in 1985. “The new vessel, which will be owned by the Government, will run exclusively between Bluff and Halfmoon Bay,” Mr Malcolm said. The running of the vessel would be put out to public tender, he said. Certain conditions would have to be met, including the provision

of a minimum number of crossings a week. The introduction of a rollon vessel, as opposed to one of conventional design, would result in a much improved freight service, said Mr Malcolm. It would simplify cargo handling and enable much bigger units of freight to be carried. Mr Malcolm said that design specifications would soon be drawn up by the Ministry of Transport so that tenders could be called from New Zealand and overseas ship yards in about three months. “The Government has asked the Ministry of Transport and the State Services Commission to have discussions with the employee groups affected by this decision,” he said.